I am wondering if what I have seen in my area is the common experience for beekeepers with similar winters. About 2 winters ago, we had a very mild season, and early in spring, our state inspectors were saying that they had seen a real increase in SHB infestations. Last winter we had 1 or 2 nights that got into single digits and a week long period where temperatures were not brutal, but did not get above freezing day or night. While I saw some SHB and the populations increased some over summer, my numbers never got alarming.
I know that some SHB will overwinter with the bees, but I think the majority are out under leaf litter, etc. Have others with similar winter weather patterns noticed the same SHB effects? I'm wondering if we can "predict" potential SHB issues based on winter low temperatures. Do isolated single digit blasts knock down SHB populations for the following season or do scattered but significant numbers of below freezing nights help with the upcoming season? What are folks in areas that are not too hot and not too cold seeing?